June 22 - Zechariah 11

June 22 - Zechariah 11:1-17

Zechariah is prophesying about the rejection of the coming Messiah and what will ultimately happen to the people of Israel when they do this terrible thing. The entire land will be devastated. Lebanon, Bashan and the area around the Jordan river were thick with forests. The loss would be overwhelming. The loss of the pastures would destroy the shepherds business. The destruction would be more than they could handle.

The Israelites had rejected God and been taken into exile. They had lost everything. In the future, the hope for unification under the Messiah seemed impossible, especially knowing that they would ultimately reject Him when He came.

The flock in Zechariah 11:4 is Israel. They were marked for slaughter because of their rejection of Christ. This would come when Rome destroyed the temple in 70 AD. 'Their own shepherds' (Zechariah 11:5) will fail them, God's pity will be withheld.

The two staves - Favor and Union - tell of God's desires for His people. He wants to show favor towards them and He wants them to come together in unity. In Zechariah 11:10, the staff called Favor is broken. God removes His favor from them. And what does he ask for? 30 pieces of silver - the same amount that was paid for Jesus' betrayal. This is the amount that was paid for the cheapest slave.

The prophecy continues when the money is thrown at the potter. In Matthew 27:7, we find that the thirty pieces of silver purchased a potter's field, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy of Jer. 32:6-9.

The covenant that is revoked is not the Abrahamic covenant of Genesis 12 or the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7, but the one made with Gentile nations on Israel's behalf.

The staff called Union was then broken signifying the fact that with the rejection of the Messiah, Israel would not be unified under one shepherd. In fact, with the loss of the leadership of the Messiah, that would leave the leadership of Israel open to the entrance of the Antichrist.